The Cultural Erosion Metaphor and the Transcultural Impact of Media Systems

Through paradigmatic application of geological constructs, I demonstrate the utility of applying the erosion metaphor to questions related to the transcultural impact of television. I explore four specific processes associated with such erosion: cultural abrasion, resulting from friction between the contrasting values reflected in a cultural terrain and a foreign media agent; cultural deflation, whereby least consolidated facets within a culture are most vulnerable to foreign influence; cultural deposition, in which foreign beliefs, practices, and artifacts supplement a cultural landscape potentially providing for cross-cultural fertilization; and cultural saltation, where social practices may appropriate communication systems in response to the perceived threat of a foreign media agent. The metaphor provides a framework to reinterpret earlier findings and to contextualize experiences of cultures under threat.